Traveling saying goodbye is almost a part of the routine, sometimes it costs less and other times it costs horrors. Sometimes it is the affection to a family and others to the place. And sometimes it is all. Of all the places we have known in these years traveling, it has never cost us so much to say goodbye to a place as to San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
Here are the 10 things I’m going to miss about San Cristóbal de Las Casas
THE VILLAGE
Although San Cristóbal de Las Casas is a city, since it has more than 200,000 inhabitants, it maintains its village soul intact.
The grocery store on the corner, the tortilla shop next to the house, the orange squeeze half the block, the greengrocer, the bale from the block, and even the papel picado that hangs around the church.
THE SUNSETS
There are sunsets like this …
Without hesitation, the sunsets of San Cris always seemed special to me. I particularly love going for a walk and listening to music when the sun goes down.
There is such a particular way in which the sun bounces off the little houses and is reflected in the street that I can.
There are others as intense …
WALKERS
For what is usually the commercial area for tourists, for us, it has always been our workspace and social meeting place. On weekends to sell and during the first days of the week the place where we go for a walk and chat with colleagues (although clearly we also do that while we work) Between mates and friends, walkers have been faithful witnesses of our adventures.
The day we return to San Cris by bicycle
HOUSES
If there is something that makes me sigh about San Cris, it is going for a walk early in the morning or when the afternoon is falling and getting lost in its streets. Beyond 160,000 inhabitants, the city maintains the soul of a people and this is demonstrated by its colonial-style architecture. Between oak doors, colorful walls and bougainvillea San Cris makes it almost impossible to resist its charm.
THE MARKET
There is nothing more beautiful for a vegan than to find a place to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at a good price. The market has also been the place where I have put my Tzotzil into practice the most and generated more than one smile for being “the gringa” who speaks the language.
In the market
THE ORGANIC TIANGUIS
Converted into almost a ritual every Wednesday and Saturday morning is to go to the organic market for a few portions of focaccia del tano Max.
THE RIVER
Favorite place to have mates and take advantage of the warm sunny afternoons, also the ideal place to do yoga or rest after a long pedaling.
THE PATHS
Those alternative paths allow us to see the daily life of the people who live in the surroundings of San Cris. Tour the Moxviquil reserve, the Huitepec hill (where all sunsets perch), or get to El Arcotete by bike.
Cycling through the forest
FRIENDS
In San Cristóbal we forged many friendships especially when we decided to stay to rest from the trip for a while. Sellers, neighbors, travelers, here we met an infinity of beautiful beings that today we consider friends, brothers, and even family.
HOME
Yes, I am going to miss having a space to call “home”. Beyond choosing to have a nomadic life, there is a part of me that sometimes misses having a home. And I in San Cristóbal found precisely one. The aroma of coffee in the kitchen, watching a movie on rainy days, having your clothes on a piece of furniture, having neighbors, the guarantee of a comfortable space to work or the mere sensation of feeling that you are “home” after a long day. Appropriating a place and making it your own (even if only for a month) play to imagine what color I would paint the wall, what plants I would put on the balcony, where I would put a comfortable armchair to go watch movies.
Enjoy a coffee and homemade vegan lemon pie on a rainy afternoon …
And we live in as many houses as there are cardinal points, but I have never felt so comfortable in one as we live in this last opportunity.
and more murals (this is my favorite)
BONUS
And of course, we are going to miss people. The “bon appetit”. The «pass him». The generous “good morning.” The “yes”. The kolabal (thank you in Tzotzil). The “Ah good, ah good” so characteristic of San Cris. Oh, you can’t imagine how we are going to miss you San Cristóbal de Las Casas!
I went and came so many times that I already think I can’t count them all. And I always found an excuse to see you one more time. I fell in love with this place.
San Cris we are going to miss you, a lot
In San Cristóbal de Las Casas we make very important decisions. It was where we decided to stop traveling with backpacks to travel on bamboo bikes.
I never liked goodbyes, that final moment always makes me so uncomfortable. There are 10 things that I am going to miss about San Cristóbal de Las Casas, there are a million! This is not a goodbye, it is a see you later.
We are Gabriela De Marcos and Camilo Peña, an Argentine and a Mexican who in 2012 made travel a lifestyle.
We like to travel slowly, live in harmony with nature and share experiences and travel stories.
Follow more of Plan B Viajeros click here
